KARACHI: Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Petroleum Nadeem Babar has said that drilling at Kekra-1 well in deep sea near Karachi has been stopped after no oil or gas reservoir could be found.

Talking to Geo News here Saturday, Nadeem Babar said after reaching at the depth of 5,500 metres in deep sea at Kekra-1 in G-bloc, ENI, the operator, the drilling was stopped after gas and oil reservoirs could not be found there.

He said Director General Petroleum Concessions office has been apprised about the testing results.

Two days back, talking to The News, Nadeem Babar had said after reaching the required depth of 5,474 metres in deep sea at Kekra-1 in G-bloc, ENI, the operator, still needs to go 150 metres more deeper and it will take two days more.

After that there will be testing process to know what the reservoir factually has, either gas or oil or both and at what quantum. It will take at least one week more.

After going down 150 metres more, the Drill Stem Test (DST) is to start that will provide the information or data telling what exactly lies in the reservoir. The DST by definition is a temporary completion of a well bore that provides information on whether or not to complete the well. The zone in question is sealed off from the rest of the well bore by packers and the formations’ pressure and fluids are measured.

The joint venture headed by ENI as operator comprising Exxon Mobile, OGDCL and PPL started the drilling on January 13, 2019 at the cost of sunk money of $75 million which has increased to over $100 million so far.